USA Cycling announced today the return of the nation’s professional cross country mountain bike series. The 2010 USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour (Pro XCT) presented by US Cup will consist of six UCI-sanctioned events throughout the United States, providing world-class athletes with a consistent stage on which to accumulate UCI ranking points and top prize purses.

“The Pro XCT not only creates opportunity and increases exposure for our athletes here at home but it also helps ensure U.S. athletes the maximum opportunity for success on the sport’s highest stage,” explained USA Cycling National Mountain Bike and Cyclo-cross Development Director Marc Gullickson. “The UCI points these events offer directly dictate the number of start spots the U.S. will receive in mountain biking events at the 2012 Olympic Games in London as well as improve start order at the Mountain Bike World Championships annually.”

In addition to providing a sequence of international-caliber events where elite cross country racers can earn UCI points, the USA Cycling Pro XCT seeks to spotlight top American races, raise the level of competitive racing in the U.S., and recognize the best cross country teams and athletes competing on U.S. soil. In order for individual riders or teams to earn points toward the overall Pro XCT titles, they must be registered as a UCI Trade Team or as a USA Cycling Mountain Bike Domestic Pro Team. The Pro XCT will provide leaders’ jerseys to the top male and female rider in the overall standings, leaders’ number plates and a guaranteed cash purse for each race.

Visiting four states in 2010, the Pro XCT will open with the US Cup Bonelli Park in San Dimas, California on March 13th, a UCI category-two event that will serve as the unofficial kick-off to the 2010 mountain biking season. Next, the USA Cycling Pro XCT will move west on I-10 to Fontana, California for the US Cup Fontana, the series’ first category-one event, on March 27th. After a five-week break, the third stop will be the US Cup Big Bear set for May 16th in Big Bear, California The series will then head to the deep south for the second of three category-one contests, the Bump ‘N Grind in Birmingham, Alabama on June 5th. The Subaru Cup, slated for June 26th in Wautoma, Wisconsin, will be the series’ fifth stop, and the number one pro rider on U.S. soil will be determined following the Pro XCT finale, the Carmichael Training Systems International Classic, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. on July 10th.

“Due to the ever-improving quality of events and focused management, the USA Cycling Pro XCT looks to be even stronger in its second season,” stated USA Cycling’s Mountain Bike and Cyclo-cross Events Director Kelli Lusk. “Many of the events have stepped up in category level offering an even more superior experience for riders and spectators alike. The strength of the selected events partnered with US Cup as the series’ management company should continue to help raise the quality of the sport’s premier domestic series.”